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Coach Belichick, Here Is the Road to Canton

Coach Belichick, Here Is the Road to Canton

While Friday press conferences for New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick are a time for pundits to ask broad questions, a mid-September Friday conference was no different.

Coach Belichick was asked for his thoughts on the importance of having talented assistants, and whether or not he felt as though coaches in those positions were under-represented in Canton.

In classic Belichick fashion, he answered with high regard for the respect and integrity he has for assistant coach but his feelings toward the voting process to the Hall, he could take it or leave it.

Well Coach Belichick, here is the process. Anyone can write a letter to the Hall to nominate, but the Pro Football Hall of Fame has 48 selectors to vote and they are all members of the media. Anyone can write a letter to the Hall to nominate. The nominees have to be retired for fives (stay retired) and you’re judged based on accomplishments to the game.

"The Hall of Fame is a tough one,” said Belichick in an article published on CSNNE. “It's like, I don't even know what the criteria is for the Hall of Fame. You got guys that have played 15-to-20 years and aren't in the Hall of Fame. You have guys that have played four or five that are and vice versa. You have guys that have had great short careers that aren't, and guys that have had OK long careers that are. You have guys that haven't won championships that are, you've got guys that have won a lot of championships that aren't. I don't know. What are we basing it on? I don't know.”

The nominees for the for induction as part of the Class of 2017 were announced on Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2016 and on the list of 94 names, there were 11 that belonged to coaches.

Of those 11, only two made their most significant contributions in the NFL as assistants: Richie Petitbon (defensive coordinator for the Redskins from 1981-92) and Clark Shaughnessy (Bears defensive coordinator from 1951-62).